When we feel muscle pain, joint tension or persistent discomfort, the question often arises: should I go to a physiotherapist or an osteopath? Although both disciplines focus on improving the physical health and well-being of the patient, their approaches, techniques and objectives are different. In this article we help you understand the differences between physiotherapy and osteopathy so that you can choose the most appropriate treatment according to your needs.
What is physical therapy?
Physiotherapy is a health discipline based on the use of physical and manual techniques – such as therapeutic exercises, electrotherapy, stretching or heat and cold therapy – to treat musculoskeletal, neurological or respiratory ailments. It is always backed by scientific evidence and focuses on:
Reduce pain
Restore mobility
Prevent injuries
Rehabilitate after accidents, surgeries or diseases
At Clínica Sarrià, physiotherapy is integrated within a global health approach, adapting each session to the specific situation of the patient.
What is osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a therapeutic discipline that considers the body as a functional unit. Through a manual and global approach, it seeks to detect and treat mobility restrictions in the tissues (muscles, joints, fascia, organs) that may affect the overall balance of the body.
The osteopath not only treats the symptom, but also looks for the deep cause of the dysfunction, working from a holistic vision. There are three main branches within osteopathy:
Structural: muscles, joints, bones
Visceral: internal organs and their mobility
Cranial-sacral: nervous system and mobility of the skull and sacrum
Which one do you need?
The choice depends on your specific situation. Here are some guidelines:
Physiotherapy yes:
You are undergoing rehabilitation after an injury, operation or accident
You are suffering from localized muscle or joint pain
You have contractures, tendinitis, lumbago or sciatica
You need to improve mobility or recover from a specific pathology
Osteopathy yes:
You are looking for a global approach to your discomfort
You have recurrent ailments with no apparent cause
You want to improve your body balance and prevent dysfunctions
You are in a moment of physical or emotional stress that affects your body
What if we combine both approaches?
At Clínica Sarrià we believe in interdisciplinary work. Many patients benefit from a combined approach, where physiotherapy relieves symptoms and recovers functions, while osteopathy acts on the deep origin of the imbalance.
Each body is unique, so we perform a personalized assessment and advise you to offer the most appropriate treatment at all times.
Physiotherapy and osteopathy do not compete: they complement each other. Both are valuable tools to recover your health and physical well-being, but each one acts from a different perspective. If you have any doubts, we invite you to visit us for an initial assessment and help you find the therapeutic path that your body needs.
